


Gentle and Valiant

by Miss M (missm)



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Book: Prince Caspian, Book: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Drabble Sequence, Gen, Post-Canon, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 20:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9565013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missm/pseuds/Miss%20M
Summary: Five times Susan and Lucy apologised to each other over the years.





	1. Beyond the Spare Room

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ephemeralblossom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralblossom/gifts).



If you have a younger sister or brother, you know that there are few things as annoying as when they insist that you are wrong – indeed, the only thing more annoying is when you do turn out to be wrong.

Susan stared at the sky, blinking. She looked down: the snow was creaking underneath her shoes. 

The forest was real. This place was real. 

"I'm sorry, Lu," she said, half expecting Lucy to revel in it. But Lucy beamed, all gratitude and joy, and Susan smiled back, full of curiosity and excitement: she did not mind being wrong, after all.


	2. Cair Paravel

"Better, Your Majesty," Taurin said, returning with the arrows. "Five out of ten."

"Well done, Lucy!" said Susan, who had not missed once – and Lucy bristled. 

"Will you stay out of it?" 

The hurt look on Susan's face shamed her more than Taurin's embarrassment. 

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, feeling very tired. Being a Queen was hard, at least when you were nine. 

"Thank you, Master Taurin," Susan said. "I think we're done for today. Lu, let's have some cocoa."

"You'll have to teach me," Lucy said afterwards, accepting her mug. 

"Teach you what? Archery?"

Lucy managed a smile. "That too."


	3. The River Rush

To suddenly find herself back here in Narnia, a girl again, and yet a fabled Queen – Susan was tired, and despite herself she wondered. Would it last this time? Or would they once again have to leave?

Could she bear to leave England forever?

Perhaps this was why it had taken her so long to admit that Lucy was not leading them astray. Perhaps she did not love Narnia enough – had this been Aslan's warning?

"I see him now," she said quietly. "I'm sorry." 

Lucy touched her hand. "It's all right," she said, and for the moment Susan believed her.


	4. London

Both had returned, Susan from America and Lucy from Narnia, older and changed. Where Lucy's heart was still a bleeding wound, Susan's heart was harder than stone – or so it seemed to Lucy.

"Have you forgotten already?" she said one night during a row. "Su, you're ungrateful!" 

But instead of replying as expected – _oh Lucy, do grow up!_ – Susan went pale, her mouth tightening.

"I'm sorry," Lucy muttered. But Susan had already turned away – awkwardly, not like a queen at all – and Lucy felt a pang of guilty sorrow, as if she had been the one to break the Gentle.


	5. Aslan's Country

Susan stared at the sky, blinking. She looked down: the grass was green and lush underneath her feet.

This place was real. 

And then, someone running towards her, a cry of sheer joy: "Oh, _Su!_ " 

Before she knew it, Lucy's arms were around her, Lucy as Susan remembered her, from many years ago – or had it not been yesterday? Susan could not tell anymore; perhaps she was dreaming. Blindly, she clung to her sister and wept. 

"I'm sorry," she choked, "I'm sorry," but Lucy shook her head, clutching Susan's hand: "It doesn't matter – not anymore; you're here now, you're home."


End file.
